News
Comments (0)
Burakoski's big night helps TMLA buzz past Ford
By Joseph Staszewski January 6, 2009
“He said, ‘Buzz, let’s go. Take it yourself. You have the
lanes. Just take it,’” Burakoski said.
After not scoring a point in the first quarter, the St.
John’s-bound senior heeded White’s words to start the next period in Mary
Louis’ league opener and first home game of the season. From that point forward
and especially in the second half, Burakoski was phenomenal in all facets of
the game. She aggressively attacked the basket, was active on the backboards
and hustled to steal the ball in the passing lanes in a stellar performance.
Burakoski scored 16 of her 23 points in the second half,
grabbed 15 rebounds, dished out eight assists and collected six steals and in a
77-51 win for Mary Louis over visiting Bishop Ford in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens
girls’ basketball Tuesday night.
It was White’s first game as the official head
coach after Joe Lewinger stepped down to spend more time with his twin
3-year-olds, who are battling cancer.
“She was everywhere,” Bishop Ford coach John LoSasso said.
“It was a force that I couldn’t stop. She was a gale wind force making a high
pressure system move out of its way.”
Bishop Ford (5-5, 1-2 CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens) tied the score
at 11 on a layup by Shayra Brown (22 points) in transition to start the second
quarter during the calm before the aforementioned storm.
Burakoski then answered by converting a 3-point play and
connected on a jumper from the right corner after an Avis Benjamin (10 points)
layup. It was the start of a 17-0 run that saw the Hilltoppers picking off
passes on the press and turning numerous Falcons turnovers into fast-break
layups to give TMLA a 28-11 lead with 3:42 left before halftime.
“I saw what they were doing,” Burakoski said. “Their point
guard, she kept doing the same things. She kept looking [one] way and throwing
it [the other]. So every time she went to the left I went to the right and
that’s how I got most of [the steals].”
“She has to attack the basket more,” White said. “We need
Buzz to be aggressive offensively for us to be successful.”
But the night belonged to Burakoski and all it took was a
few words from White, who has coached her with the NYC Heat AAU team.
Bishop Ford, which also wants to turn pressure defense into
turnovers and fast-break points, did just that during its own run right before
the half. The 7-0 spurt cut the Mary Louis (7-2,1-0) lead to 10 with 1:55 left
in the second quarter. The Falcons then pulled within 30-22 on a layup by Brown
with 30 seconds left, but the Hilltoppers took a 34-22 lead into halftime on a
Burakoski layup at the buzzer.
Burakoski’s barrage continued in the second half. She drove
hard to the basket after a steal to cap 16-6 that put the game well out of
reach. Brown did have the highlight reel play of the day though when she leapt
and scooped in a pass behind two defenders during the decisive run. Reana
Mohamed added 12 points for Mary Louis and Vanessa D’Ambrosi had 11 points and
10 rebounds for Bishop Ford.
“Because I play with him over the summer, most of the time
when he tells me to do something, it’s like weird, it just snaps and I do it,” Burakoski
said. “It hits me. I need him to tell me like: ‘Go.’”